APOD: 2015 September 25 - Pluto's Snakeskin Terrain
Discover the cosmos!
Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2015 September 25
Pluto's Snakeskin Terrain
Image Credit:
NASA,
Johns Hopkins Univ./APL,
Southwest Research Institute
Explanation:
A
mountainous region informally known as Tartarus Dorsa sprawls
some 530 kilometers (330 miles) across this
Plutonian landscape.
Recently downloaded
from New Horizons,
it combines blue,
red, and infrared image data in an extended color view
captured near the spacecraft's close approach to Pluto on July 14.
Shadows near the terminator, the line between Pluto's dim day and night,
emphasize a rough, scaly
texture.
The stunning image resolves details
on the distant world about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) across.
Refering to a part
of Hades in ancient Greek mythology,
Tartarus Dorsa borders Tombaugh Regio
to the east.
Tomorrow's picture: M31 vs. M33
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman
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